Russian officials said they destroyed 1,110 Ukrainian drones during a 24-hour period that included a major Sept. 20 attack on Moscow and its region. Ukraine said it used domestically made drones and missiles, including Flamingo and Pelican systems, against oil and logistics facilities; available reporting does not independently resolve the Pelican’s identity or confirm all claimed interceptions.1 2
By Land Offset PAI
Sept. 23, 2026
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia’s Defense Ministry said it destroyed 1,110 Ukrainian drones across Russia, occupied Crimea and the Black Sea during a 24-hour period that included a large Sept. 20 attack on Moscow and the surrounding region, according to The Associated Press.1
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 450 drones were destroyed en route to the capital and described the attack as the largest drone attack Moscow had experienced. He said the Moscow Oil Refinery and a residential building were damaged. The Russian figures and damage assessments could not be independently verified in full.1 3
Moscow regional Gov. Andrei Vorobyov said two people were killed and 20 were injured in the wider region. He also said 400 people were evacuated after a drone crash caused a fire at a 21-story residential building.1
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv used domestically produced drones and missiles to strike oil and logistics facilities. In an account published by AP, he named Flamingo and Pelican among the systems used and said the targets generated money that sustained Russia’s war effort.1
The Flamingo is a Ukrainian ground-launched cruise missile. Forces News reported that Russia’s Defense Ministry said it intercepted eight Flamingos during the Sept. 19-20 attack period; the outlet said Russia’s claim that all Flamingos headed for the Moscow region were intercepted could not be independently confirmed.2
The Pelican’s identity remains unclear. Forces News reported that Zelenskyy did not define it as either a missile or a drone. Initial Ukrainian media reports linked the name to Fire Point’s proposed FP-7 ballistic missile, but subsequent military-source accounts described it as a long-range drone. The Institute for the Study of War said it could not verify use of FP-7 ballistic missiles in the operation.2 The Guardian likewise reported that early ballistic-missile accounts were later questioned.3
The operation demonstrates the scale of the long-range aerial campaign, but the available evidence does not establish a complete Ukrainian launch count or validate every Russian interception claim. The strongest supported formulation is that Russian authorities reported 1,110 drones destroyed over 24 hours, while Ukraine publicly identified a mixed set of domestically produced drone and missile systems used against Russian oil and logistics targets.1 2
Source note: This article follows a LinkedIn post reshared by Dennis DeMeyere from Keith King. Russian military and regional-authority claims are attributed throughout, and disputed weapon identification is left unresolved.4